Interlocking slide fastener



Aug. 10, 1937 H. B. GRANT 2,089,922

INTERLOCKING SLIDE FAS TENER Filed Sept. 19, 1935 Patented Aug.' i0,1937 STATES INTERLOCKING SLIDE FAs'rENER Harry Bertram Grant,Birmingham, England, assignor to Hookless Fastener Company, acorporation of Pennsylvania Application September 19, 1933, Serial No.690,095 In Great Britain December 8, 1932 6 Claims.

My invention relates to interlocking slide fasteners and particularly toflexible coverings for concealing the metal members of the fasteners.

At the present time interlocking slide fasteners i having flexiblecoverings for concealing the metal members of the fastener are operatedby means of sliders which ride over the covering strips;

Such fasteners possess the disadvantage that the coverings which arelocated between the edge l surfaces of the fastener members and theslider, quickly become worn in use. Furthermore when the slider isprovided with a locking device which takes the form of a metal prongengaging between the fastener members, this prong usually pierces one orthe other of the covering strips when in the locked position and therebytends to damage same.

An alternative method of covering the fastener has been suggestedwhereby'thecovering strips conceal both the slider and the members, theslider body in this case operating underneath the coverings. Difficultyis experienced in this construction in making the coverings lie flat ontop of the members, in keeping the two abutting edges of the strips .nclose contact when the fastener is closed, and in preventing the sliderbody from appearing bulky beneath the covering.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved coveredslide fastener, the coverings of which conceal both the members and theslider body, which will be free from the disadvantages enumerated aboveand at the same time, be of neat appearance.

A further object of my invention vis to construct thefasteners andcoverings in such a manu ner as to enable' them to be manufactured in aquick,'easy and inexpensive manner.

According to my invention the covering strips are applied in such amanner that the natural side pull on the mounting tape, to which thefastener members are attached, forces the coverings to lie iiat againstthe metal surfaces of the members thus enabling the abutting edges to bein close contact along the whole length of the fastener.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for the purpose ofillustration, the preferred embodiment of my invention. In this drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a covered fastener;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section through the fastener showing the fastenermembers clamped into position on the mounting tape and the coveringspartly assembled; 5 Fig. 3 is a cross-section through one half of thefastener showing the next step in the method of assembly;

'Fig. 4 is a cross-section through the fastener showing the finishedcoverings;

Fig'. 5 is a cross-section through the fastener and the operatingslider; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-section through half of the covered `fastener showingan alternative method of arranging the fastener mounting tape andcovering strip.

Referring to Fig. 1, the fastener comprises flexible mounting tapes l,having fastener members 2 attached to their adjacent edges. Each ofthese fastener members has a pair of legs 3 which are clamped to thetape', and an interlocking end i which is adapted to connect withmembers of the opposite series in the well-known manner.

The operating slider 5 having a pull tab B, is adapted to causeengagement or disengagement of the fastener members as the slider ismoved from one end to the other of the fastener. The tape is folded backupon itself as shown in Fig. 2, the lower portion being designated I andthe covering strip portion 1. The edge is beaded by folding it over acord 8.

Fig. 3 shows the next step in the manufacture where the covering portion1 is reversely folded and stitched through the fold to hold the coveringportion against the fastener elements. Preferably additional side cords9 are aixed closely adjacent and alongside the rows of fastener memberswhich give the necessary depth to the covering strip to enable it to bebuilt up to a slightly higher level than the top of the fastenermembers.

In order that this cord may be sewn conveniently to the upper and lowerparts of the fabric covers 1, during this operation the tape l is foldedback into the position shown. When the tape l is folded into its normalposition as shown in'Fig. 4, any slight tension in this tape in thedirectionof the arrows A has the effect of causing the covering 1 to lieclose to the surface of the fastener members and at the same time causethe two edges of the tape to butt against each other along the wholelength of the fastener.

The fabric cover strips 1 are preferably made of a material which willhave a fair degree of stiffness. For. example, a tightly woven linen orartificial silk may be used. It is desirable to have the strips washedand dried before they are applied so that they will not become moreflimsy after they have been applied to the fastener.

, Fig. 5 shows a Section through' the fastener and the slider 5,illustrating the manner in which the latter rides underneath thecovering. As it is desirable that the width of covering should 5 be asnarrow as possible we make the upper wing l0 of the slider 5 flat,instead of with the usual side anges. yIncases where the covering isrequired to be of different material from the mounting stringer we usetwo binding cords, il, ii, 1o as shown in Fig. 6, which are sewn on tothe edge l2 of the tape i8 and of the covering Il. which are broughttogether as shown. The covering is arranged in such a manner that nodimculty is encountered in arranging the locking prong of the slider sothat when it is in the locked position the covering strips are notaffected thereby. 'Ihe whole of the operating portions of the fastener,with the exception of the pull tab, are concealed by the covering stripsand the slider makes metal to metal contact with the fastener memberswithout wearing the covering strips.

While I have shown and described in this application one embodiment thatmy invention may assume in practice it will be understood that thisembodiment is merely forA the purposes of illustration and descriptionand that various other forms may be devised within the scope of myinvention as defined in the appended claims. What I claim as myinvention is:

1. In an interlocking slide fastener, a pair of mounting strips,cooperating series of fastener members mounted along the edges of saidstrips, flexible covering strips attached to the mounting strips andfolded back over the sides of said fastening members so that their edgesare in abutting contact, and means at the fold tol space the foldedportion away from said mounting strips so that it will tend to lie datagainst the sides of said fastening members. v

2. In an interlocking slide fastener, a pair of mounting strips,cooperating series of fastener members clamped to the edges of saidstrips, cover strips one edge of each of which is clamped by saidfastener members, said cover strips being folded upon themselves so thateach of the other `edges overlies the sides of the fastening members,

aoeaaaa and a series of stitches passing through said fold whereby thefolded portion tends to lie against the fastener members.

3. In an interlocking slide fastener, a pair of mounting strips,cooperating series of fastener members clamped to the edges of saidstrips, a pair of flexible cover strips each having one edge andextending along said mounting strips, and

'clamped by one series of said fastener members folded back upon itselfto overlie the sides of said I of the fastener members and each having ak,por-

tion extending to one side of said fastener members over said spacermember, said covering strips being sumciently stii and said spacermember being sumciently close to said fastener members that the coveringstrips will normally lie flat against th'e surfaces of the fastenermembers although having suiiicient flexibility to permit movementv ofthe slider between the fastener members and covering strips, saidmounting strips extending laterally away from the fastener elementsbeyond the position of the spacer members.

5. In an interlocking fastener, the combination defined in claim 4wherein said spacer member is spaced from said fastener members theminimum distance permitting free movement of the slider between saidspacer member and fastener members.l

6. The combination dened in claim 4, wherein said cover strips are made`of tightly woven fabric material having sufhcient stiii'ness to maintainthe free edges thereof normally against the surfaces of the fastenermembers.

HARRY BERTRAM GRANT.

